Sunday, December 29, 2013

Concert Rave

Quick post. I still have enough people staying in my house at the moment that I keep losing count (we set the dinner table for 17 last night, I think...) so I haven't had time for writing. I still don't, but we're in a down moment where people are just reading, etc. so I will blog!

Fernwood Montessori has an unusually high amount of parental involvement for a public school, which makes it a great place. The down side of that is the high attendance at the Winter Concerts in an auditorium that really can't handle it. This year they decided to put all the kindergarten classes first, then suggest people with nobody in the lower elementary half of the program leave at intermission and open up seats. I didn't know anyone in the first half of the show, but Aden was doing stage crew work for it, so I felt justified in watching from the back wall just to see her do her thing. I'm so glad I did. I loved this concert. My only complaint is that there wasn't a way for more people to see it. And if your only problem with something is that you want more of it, really, that's not bad.

This concert was different from past years. Normally each class does its own thing (which is still what the lower elementary did), but the kindergartens worked together this time and to great effect. They wore simple matching black outfits, and they began by all seventy children singing "Love Grows" with hand gestures which was completely sweet and adorable. Then different combinations of classes sang together doing "This Little Light of Mine," "Jingle Bells" in three languages, and "Holiday" by Madonna which was hilarious and fun.

They finished with "Light a Candle for Peace" where every child held an electric candle, and when they were done they walked up the aisles and out of the auditorium while continuing to sing. I was bawling. I couldn't help think back to a year ago attending a similar concert the night before the Sandy Hook shootings. Hearing children sing has always made me emotional, but nowadays it has the potential to leave me a mess, and this concert did. In a good way.

So the first half of the concert was coherent and funny and sweet. And I thought it was lovely to have the kids collaborate with other classes because every child got to sing on stage three times.

The second half of the concert was highly entertaining. A good mix of traditional things and stuff that was just wacky. There was mysterious twirling, singing out of tune that was short enough to be charming, some adorable costumes.... Quinn's class did a Tibentan chant thing that kind of missed the mark in that most of the kids wore masks for all of it, so it was hard for some parents to figure out where their children were. (I knew ahead of time that Quinn would be in a bunny mask so I was able to spot him, but the couple behind me kept saying, "Is that her? What about that one? Wait! They're leaving, but which one was her!?" which, frankly, was kind of funny.) His class performance was weird, but Quinn LOVED it. He was so happy to be on the stage in his mask with his class. I can't really ask for more than that. And the piece that brought down the house was Mona's old room that did an original song that the kids helped write and included a guy playing a steel drum while wearing a huge elf head that loomed in the back behind the children. It was awesome.

The whole concert was less than an hour and a half long and everyone left happy. So good. It made me proud to have found my kids such a nice school, and glad to be part of such a good community.

I think things are stirring again. Food is appearing. People are putting down books and heading to the dining room, so this post is done! So much to write when the guests go back home, but right now I need to enjoy their company some more. More soon!